As Good a Time as Any
by sadeyedsun
Summary: Fighting through some writer's block with this very quick, angst-y one-shot based on this prompt: "Person A holding Person B, trying to stop their bleeding, when Person B suddenly asks A to marry them. When Person A tells them to stop kidding, B pulls a wedding ring out of their bloodied coat. The moment A says yes, Person B's last breath leaves them."


Amidst the plumes of smoke and cries of men, the two of them sat tucked away, isolated from this moment of mayhem. She desperately cradled his head in her hands, trying frantically to stop his bleeding with what insignificant amount of energy she had left. He winced in pain, struggling to mask his groans of agony. Blood streamed over her fingers, the warm liquid seeping into every crease of her skin, as he felt his body betray him, growing weaker by the minute. The tepid glow of her hands did little to alleviate his suffering. She hadn't even thought of how to treat the rest of him yet; his clothes were charred and torn, exposing his skin that was marred with severe, mortal wounds. _Please, just hold on a little longer._

He slowly, shakily raised a hand to search for her, and clasped onto her arm. His fingers were tough and calloused against her delicate skin, but his grip was loose. The warmth of his skin was faint. She pushed herself even harder, ignoring her own aching, debilitating injuries. All of her vigor and strength were concentrated on him.

"Sakura…there's…nothing y—"

"Don't say that! You're going to be fine!"

He smiled to himself, and softly exhaled. _Stubborn_ _as_ _always_ he thought. There never was any talking sense into her, even if they both knew that he was right. Of course there was no way would be fine; despite all he had been through, Naruto knew that this would be his final undertaking. His eyes found the supernal glow of moonlight above them, and he stared into the ethereal beauty of the night sky. Surrounded by the screams and wails of shinobi at battle, of chill air brushing against his skin, of weapons and bodies strewn across the earth, of his own blood pooling below him, he felt a strange sense of calmness.

"S-Sakura…will you marry me?" he sputtered, arching his head to admire her out of the corners of his eyes. All of her attention was fixed on him with a mix of determination and worry. Her muscles were begging for release, but she fought through the ache. Her heart was beating one-hundred miles a minute, and she vigorously held back the tears that were brimming in her eyes as she processed his words. "Naruto," she bemoaned, "this isn't a time for jokes."

"Hn…who said I was joking?"

With hands gently trembling, he reached inside his jacket, and madly scraped the inside pocket. "I've been carrying this with me," he panted, "for a couple of months now." She watched him, breathless, as he gradually slid his hand out. "Now seems as good a time as any." Between his fingers he gripped a glistening engagement ring. The marquise-shaped diamond twinkled in the luminescence. Hearing her sharply gasp, he dragged her arm down in front of him. Her fingers were caked with blood, frail and quivering, as he freely held her hand in his.

"Sakura, I wanted to wait until the perfect moment to do this...but I love you. I've watched you change, and I've watched you grow, and I could not be more proud of who you've become. I like to think that I helped you become that person, because I would not be who I am without you."

An excruciating surge of pain through his torso interrupted him, and he writhed in her lap. She let him heavily clutch her hand, their fingers interlocked, while she continued to lull his head.

"You… you stuck by my side through it all. No matter what happened, you were there, fighting alongside me…You believed in me, and you let me know…what it felt like to be loved…And I love you."

He glided the ring onto her finger, not waiting for her answer.

"…Will you marry me?"

Sakura stared at her hand in disbelief. Her bubbling tears stung, and they dripped from her chin to his hand. They gazed into each other's eyes, a lifetime of memories playing between them. Days spent lounging under trees after strenuous training sessions. Tea shared in the houses of strangers they met in their travels. Nights spent serenely staring at the stars. Leaning on each other for support in the throes of war. Much like now.

"Yes, Naruto," she cried, voice tinged with grief. "Yes, of course I will marry you."

She delicately parted the strands of hair that clung to the sweat of his brow. Her head hung low over him. Blinking the tears from her swollen eyes, she pressed her lips to his dry, cracked skin. Naruto felt the warmth of her kiss floating through his veins, as he quickly memorized the way she looked in this moment. Her big, beautiful forehead that he dumbly felt like kissing. The uneven speckles that dotted her cheeks. Soulful sea-green eyes that beamed back at him. A timid half-smile crept across his face, as he inhaled the scent of her skin one last time. The corners of his vision began to blur, eyelids heavy with dullness. His body laid listlessly in her arms, and the deafening sounds of her sobbing his name began to fade.

He hoped that heaven was warm and smelled of cherry blossoms.


End file.
